If confirmed, I would build on Embassy Lome's use of quiet diplomacy to urge the Government to make democratic reforms.

Cooperation with Germany on this front must be a priority.

We obviously cannot trust China to meet the commitments it has made on the Taiwan issue.

I would urge that you communicate in the strongest terms to the administration the concern that our allies in the region have with this policy.

The United States also needs to continue to advocate on human rights issues in India.

We have got to be very clear about our criticism of China.

But if we are going to let the process play out, we need to have at least a clear understanding of what our allies are telling us.

The United States is committed to seeking reforms of the U.N. Human Rights Council, particularly with respect to the Council's disproportionate focus on Israel.

China has mistreated the Uighurs and other ethnic minorities within China.

I think the spotlight should be on China. They have said for decades, the Chinese Government, that they want to have a minimum nuclear deterrent.

This committee has continued its proud bipartisan tradition of putting country ahead of party.

first of all, I ask permission to use an item to demonstrate in the speech that I am going to give, please. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

fellow Senators, and the American public, I rise today to underscore a travesty that is about to take place here in about an hour on the floor of the U.S. Senate. I am talking about the BLM matter, the Bureau of Land Management matter, the…

Well, you see that is the problem with us not having access to that cable.

They also have to be really, really upset at the prospects of a massive refugee crisis landing right on their borders here very soon.

I agree with the chairman that the withdrawal was a dismal failure.

There is not enough lipstick in the world to put on this pig to make it look any different than what it actually is.

There are questions that we really need to have answered, and it is disheartening that they declined to testify.

President Biden chose to withdraw from Afghanistan without conditions and without prudent planning.

The prior Administration, when they took steps toward withdrawing from Afghanistan, entered into an agreement that had very, very specific conditions.

While I supported a responsible end to the war in Afghanistan, no American thinks we should have left this way.

What they see is incompetence that they think they might be able to exploit, may lead to miscalculation.

The American people want to know who is responsible for this.

The debacle in Afghanistan is an interagency failure, and the fact that you are the only one stepping up is disheartening.

This was not a failure of intelligence. This was a failure of policy and planning.